Academic cheating in Malaysia?
How did UiTM come to violate international copyright rules and get away with it?
By P. Ramasamy
In Malaysia, we might not openly admit the problems of academic cheating, but it does exist and needs to be addressed by those who are in charge of ensuring academic standards in institutions of higher learning.
If a former MBA student of University of Bath had not done a Google search, he would not have discovered that University Technology Mara had illegally deposited in its library 14 academic theses done by students who graduated with MBA from Bath in 1994. (Ex-students: How did theses end up in UiTM library?, FMT April 28)
The question posed by the former student was simply this? How did these theses come to be deposited in UiTM’s library and whether it had sought the permission of University of Bath or the students concerned?
Academic cheating or plagiarism is not uncommon in Malaysia. But most of the time, students, lecturers and even professors get away with this intellectual dishonesty.
The authorities in the institutions of higher learning are not very open or transparent when it comes to acknowledging the problems of academic cheating. Most of the time, they prefer to sweep these ugly episodes under the carpet for fear that it might affect their academic rating.
In the past, there have been cases of academic cheating by students and lecturers in universities and colleges, but very few have been punished.
Many in the academic circles realize the phenomenon of academic cheating is there, but the authorities are too entrapped in the bureaucratic red-tape to address this problem.
Academic cheating is a serious crime in universities. Those who are caught can be prosecuted and jailed or fined.
But unfortunately, the Ministry of Education that oversees academic standards simply does not have the political will to reduce academic cheating in institutions of higher learning.
P Ramasamy is state assemblyman for Prai and deputy chief minister II of Penang
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SEE ALSO : Ex-students: How did theses end up in UiTM library?